Daiinjin
The People of Yin
Last night in a dream I returned home.
By the window
You were combing your hair.
We looked at each other silently
With only endless tears.
There's a place which every year will be my misery,
In moonlight,
The cemetery hill with short pines.
- a Yang-style ci poem, Li Huizhou
By the window
You were combing your hair.
We looked at each other silently
With only endless tears.
There's a place which every year will be my misery,
In moonlight,
The cemetery hill with short pines.
- a Yang-style ci poem, Li Huizhou
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Given names are usually made up of one, two, or three characters. Most female names end in -ko with the character for "child" or with -mi with the character for "beautiful." Originally, -ko was reserved only for noble families, and later, for the imperial families and the female children of the emperor or empress. Once the Divine Mandate was enacted after the Kami Daisenso, this prohibition was lifted and the -ko ending became one of the more popular name endings for girls. Other popular end syllables for girls are -ka using the character for "perfume" or "flower," and -na using the character for "leafy greens" or an older character for "apple tree."
Hana, Himari, Akari, Ichika, Ayumi, Yui, Kanna, Niko, Momoko, Sana are among the more common female given names in the Yin-aligned portions of the Middle Empire.
Masculine names
Again, usually made up of one, two, or three characters, most male names end in -ro using the character for "son" or "clear, bright," -ta with the character for "great, thick" or "first (son)," or -o using one of the characters for "man." They also often include ichi "first," kazu also "first," ji "second" or "next," or dai "great, large."
Haruto, Riku, Keima, Ichiyo, Kaito, Asahi, Sora, Reo, Yuto, and Toma are some popular male names in the Yin-aligned provinces.
Unisex names
Hinata, Aoi, Haru, Aki, Jun, Kaede, Makoto are the more popoular given names for either sex. Usually taken from myths, legends, and other popular culture figures.
Family names
Like much of the empire, the names of the Daiinjin follow the pattern of surnames first followed by the given name. Names are, of course, written using the standard writing system used throughout the majority of the empire. One of the main differences, however, is that the parents of a Daiin household choose the proununciation they want to use for the characters they choose. Some characters with negative meanings are banned for use in names such as "failure," "weak," "storm," or "typhoon," amongst others.
The majority of the Daiin people have a single surname which was chosen by some ancestor in the distant past. Family names are grouped into one of three categories: myouji, uji, or sei. Uji are the most ancient of surnames of the Daiin people. Only a handful of clans still exist which can trace their names back to an uji. Among these are the Immaculate Houses of Fenghuang and Tatsu. Many of the oldest clans of the Dayang are counted as uji by the Daiin, such as House Qishi. Once the emperor and empress gained their places as figureheads of the largely samurai-led government during the Age of the Bushi, the kabane system of noble titles was created and those who found favor with the feudal lords would be granted a new uji combined with a kabane called a sei. Most of the existing great houses are remnants of this system with their names being bestowed upon them by the Imperial Thrones. Myouji or chosen names gradually came into being during the feudal age and became popular among the samurai and commoners, both. They became particularly prevalent among the merchant classes of the time. Indeed, were even encouraged by the feudal lords of the time, whose war efforts were often funded by those very same merchants.
In fact, many of the surnames existing within the empire in the modern age are classified as myouji, and have their roots in place names, domains, fiefdoms, occupations, geographical features, or notable ancestors. Daiin names, as well as, much of the writing system is composed of logosyllabic characters derived from the older Dayang writing system and the even older Tianyu (Heavenly Language). While the majority of Daiin names match the characters with their meaning in the Daiin language, many others use a rough pronunciation of the Dayangyu word along with the appropriate character.
The majority of surnames are comprised of one, two, or three characters. A small minority have four or five characters. When written, the possessive particle of "no" is often not included in the name. For instance, the great house, House Midorinoike would be written with the characters "midori" and "ike" without the "no" particle. Some common Daiin surnames include: Saito, Kobayashi, Nakamura, Yamamoto, Jin, Ito, Watanabe, Tanaka, Takahashi, Suzuki, and Sato.
The majority of the Daiin people have a single surname which was chosen by some ancestor in the distant past. Family names are grouped into one of three categories: myouji, uji, or sei. Uji are the most ancient of surnames of the Daiin people. Only a handful of clans still exist which can trace their names back to an uji. Among these are the Immaculate Houses of Fenghuang and Tatsu. Many of the oldest clans of the Dayang are counted as uji by the Daiin, such as House Qishi. Once the emperor and empress gained their places as figureheads of the largely samurai-led government during the Age of the Bushi, the kabane system of noble titles was created and those who found favor with the feudal lords would be granted a new uji combined with a kabane called a sei. Most of the existing great houses are remnants of this system with their names being bestowed upon them by the Imperial Thrones. Myouji or chosen names gradually came into being during the feudal age and became popular among the samurai and commoners, both. They became particularly prevalent among the merchant classes of the time. Indeed, were even encouraged by the feudal lords of the time, whose war efforts were often funded by those very same merchants.
In fact, many of the surnames existing within the empire in the modern age are classified as myouji, and have their roots in place names, domains, fiefdoms, occupations, geographical features, or notable ancestors. Daiin names, as well as, much of the writing system is composed of logosyllabic characters derived from the older Dayang writing system and the even older Tianyu (Heavenly Language). While the majority of Daiin names match the characters with their meaning in the Daiin language, many others use a rough pronunciation of the Dayangyu word along with the appropriate character.
The majority of surnames are comprised of one, two, or three characters. A small minority have four or five characters. When written, the possessive particle of "no" is often not included in the name. For instance, the great house, House Midorinoike would be written with the characters "midori" and "ike" without the "no" particle. Some common Daiin surnames include: Saito, Kobayashi, Nakamura, Yamamoto, Jin, Ito, Watanabe, Tanaka, Takahashi, Suzuki, and Sato.
Other names
There is a strong belief within the empire that the given name of an individual has strong, magical power and that its careless use might incur misfortune for the individual or attract malevolent powers to them. Therefore, kemyo, or nicknames, are often used in place of a given name in open or public spaces. With males, it is often common to use nicknames which align with their seniority among their siblings, such as: Taro (first son), Jiro (second son), etc. For females, it is often common to simply double up on the first one or two syllables of their given name. In other instances, usually more formal, it is common to use an individual's given title in place of their names, with the appropriate honorific.
By far, the most common method of addressing other people within the Yin-aligned provinces is to simply use a person's family name. Given names can be used in private, among family, and small children are allowed a certain leeway. However, among adults, even close friends tend to use each other's surnames, usually without an honorific. Lovers may use each others' given names in private, or special nicknames when in public.
By far, the most common method of addressing other people within the Yin-aligned provinces is to simply use a person's family name. Given names can be used in private, among family, and small children are allowed a certain leeway. However, among adults, even close friends tend to use each other's surnames, usually without an honorific. Lovers may use each others' given names in private, or special nicknames when in public.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Daiingo is the major language spoken amongst the Yin-aligned peoples. Pinyin is also a dialect of Daiingo, a pidgin trade language blended from Daiingo and Dàyángyu, the Yang-aligned language.
Culture and cultural heritage
It is said among the Daiinjin that the first humans came from the Blessed Isles in the nigh-mythical Great Inland Sea far to the east in the lands of Wa. The Blessed Isles were a place of peace and plenty where there was no suffering, no sickness, and no death. However, it is also said that the people so offended the Sun and Moon that They cast the people out and took the Isles up to Heaven with them. Now, the only way to go back to the Blessed Isles is to honor the gods, great and small, and to live a decent life so that one may dwell with the gods again.
However, after they were cast out, the people disagreed on the ways in which to honor the gods. One group, led by a brash and arrogant woman, stated that the only true way to honor the gods was to listen to the Heart and live by its dictates. The other, led by a composed and thoughtful gentleman, stated that it was best to listen to the Head and be calm and deliberate in one's actions.
Thus the tribes of Men split, one following the example of the Sun, the Goddess Amaterasu, the other following the way of the Moon, the God Tsuki-yomi. Each headed west, though the People of the Sun turned toward the north, and lived as best they could in the untamed wilds.
Eventually, the People of the Moon came to the lands of the Yosei, the supernal descendants of spirits of water and wood. Completely mystified by these folk, the Moon People began emulating their society. Especially entranced were they at the Yosei's concepts of Yin and Yang and what they termed the Tao and their ways of honoring the gods through ritual dance, poetry, painting, and many other pursuits. Among the things emulated, of course, was the wood spirits' society, which was rigid and tiered like a stalk of bamboo.
Things had hardly been peaceful, of course. There were frequent clashes with the wild creatures and the Sun clans, and the bushi caste rose to the top of the Moon Peoples' society eventually becoming true warrior lords, the first samurai. This is the way the Daiinjin people tell the tale.
Every aspect of the peoples' lives is predicated on the reverence to the gods and to nature called matsuri. Yet Shinto is not all about prayer and worship, it is, at its core, about life and living it. Through the long-dead samurai class, the yosei had a profound effect upon human culture as a whole, not just upon the Daiin people. Though the arts of the empire have lost much of their meditative and religious bent over the millennia, through tradition they remain very much tied into their original purpose. The dances that the geisha still perform in the hanamachi, those performed on the stage in the great Noh theaters, are nearly indistinguishable from those done by the miko during every festival at every shrine across the empire.
Perhaps the greatest impact upon the culture of the nascent Daiin people the yosei had was on its awareness of social hierarchy and one's place in society. If one great fault can be placed upon the Daiinjin culture as a whole, it's in their near slavish adherence to their station and their inability to act either above or below their own station in society. On the one hand, it makes their society incredibly ordered and one always knows their duties in regards to society as a whole. However, introduce one, small element of chaos and the whole thing has a tendency to fall apart in indecision.
However, after they were cast out, the people disagreed on the ways in which to honor the gods. One group, led by a brash and arrogant woman, stated that the only true way to honor the gods was to listen to the Heart and live by its dictates. The other, led by a composed and thoughtful gentleman, stated that it was best to listen to the Head and be calm and deliberate in one's actions.
Thus the tribes of Men split, one following the example of the Sun, the Goddess Amaterasu, the other following the way of the Moon, the God Tsuki-yomi. Each headed west, though the People of the Sun turned toward the north, and lived as best they could in the untamed wilds.
Eventually, the People of the Moon came to the lands of the Yosei, the supernal descendants of spirits of water and wood. Completely mystified by these folk, the Moon People began emulating their society. Especially entranced were they at the Yosei's concepts of Yin and Yang and what they termed the Tao and their ways of honoring the gods through ritual dance, poetry, painting, and many other pursuits. Among the things emulated, of course, was the wood spirits' society, which was rigid and tiered like a stalk of bamboo.
Things had hardly been peaceful, of course. There were frequent clashes with the wild creatures and the Sun clans, and the bushi caste rose to the top of the Moon Peoples' society eventually becoming true warrior lords, the first samurai. This is the way the Daiinjin people tell the tale.
Every aspect of the peoples' lives is predicated on the reverence to the gods and to nature called matsuri. Yet Shinto is not all about prayer and worship, it is, at its core, about life and living it. Through the long-dead samurai class, the yosei had a profound effect upon human culture as a whole, not just upon the Daiin people. Though the arts of the empire have lost much of their meditative and religious bent over the millennia, through tradition they remain very much tied into their original purpose. The dances that the geisha still perform in the hanamachi, those performed on the stage in the great Noh theaters, are nearly indistinguishable from those done by the miko during every festival at every shrine across the empire.
Perhaps the greatest impact upon the culture of the nascent Daiin people the yosei had was on its awareness of social hierarchy and one's place in society. If one great fault can be placed upon the Daiinjin culture as a whole, it's in their near slavish adherence to their station and their inability to act either above or below their own station in society. On the one hand, it makes their society incredibly ordered and one always knows their duties in regards to society as a whole. However, introduce one, small element of chaos and the whole thing has a tendency to fall apart in indecision.
Shared customary codes and values
While the idea of Face as a replacement for the more ancient code of bushido is cleaved to throughout the Middle Empire and amongst all its peoples, Daiinjin tend to cleave much more closely to it than anyone else. Loss of self-control, especially in a public setting, is a major faux-pas and can constitute a great loss of face within the Yin lands.
Average technological level
Song to early Ming Dynasty China.
Common Etiquette rules
Like much of the rest of the empire, regardless of individual race or ethnic group, respect and politeness are the hallmarks of Daiin common etiquette. The backbone of this politeness is the use of courteous language and the appropriate honorifics when speaking to others. Especially strangers. Honorifics come after the name or title of the subject being addressed:
The bowing etiquette within Daiin society is as rigid and structured as the rest of their society. Failure to perform the right type of bow, in the correct context, is often considered to be an offense. Therefore, the art of bowing is ingrained into every child from the time they're old enough to walk so that knowing the appropriate way of bowing in any social situation becomes as natural to them as breathing. The type of bow and the degree to which one bows is dependent upon the situation and the status of the individual one is bowing to. Overall, there are two major categories of bowing. They are: zarei (Bowing while kneeling) and ritsurei (Bowing while standing). The type of bow used depends entirely upon social setting. In more informal settings, a standing bow is most often used, whereas in formal settings, the sitting bow is most often put to use.
Like most peoples of the empire, Daiin bow when greeting each other. Whether stranger or friend. The bow is usually brief and slight at 15 degrees. For a friend, it is usually a simple inclination of the head. Whereas, for a stranger, it is a more formal bow from the waist. This bow is usually accompanied by a standard greeting such as a "Hello," or "Nice to meet you." This bow is called eshaku.
The next type of bow is the most commonly used in social situations. Especially when interacting with someone of slightly higher social status. The body is inclined from the waist at about 30 degrees and the gaze is on the floor. This bow is also used to express gratitude for something, or to apologize for a small infraction. This bow is called keirei.
The final bow is meant to show the utmost respect towards the other person. The person bowing bends forward at the waist at a steep 45 degree angle or more, depending upon the personage being bowed to. The gaze should, as above, rest firmly on the floor. The bow is used when greeting someone of significantly higher social status, expressing deep gratitude, asking for a favor, or showing deep sincerity for a large infraction. As such the bow should be held for an appropriate time to express one's deep feelings, whether respect, gratitude, or sorrow. This bow is called saikeirei.
With all standing bows, the hands should remain firmly at one's sides, with the eyes on the floor. The sitting bows also have three different ways of bowing, also used in much the same way as the standing bows, and with the same, general, reasons. The first one, called senrei, is used in primarily informal occasions, such as visiting the house of an acquaintance or stranger of equal social standing. The bow is from the waist at a slight 30 degrees, hands slid forward along the thighs, til the fingertips touch the ground.
The second sitting bow is called futsūrei and is the most commonly used seated bow in formal settings, or to show respect for someone of slightly higher station. The waist is bent until one is looking directly at the floor with hands placed flat on the ground before the face, fingertip touching, to form a triangle.
The third, and most formal seated bow, is also called saikeirei. It has the same connotations as the standing saikeirei, above. The person bows forward until their chest is touching their knees, and their forehead is on the ground between the triangle made by their hands.
There is even a semi-formal bow to be used when presenting a gift or offering called the sashiire. The bow is usually fairly slight while presenting the gift with both hands. While the receiver bows just as deeply in gratitude and receives the gift with both hands.
While not quite to the point of being a near-sacred ritual, like the kobito, bathing is still a very important part of the daily routine of Daiin people. For them, bathing is more of a ritual of relaxation and, among the lower classes, communal bonding than it is about actually getting clean. Therefore, the bathtub, itself, is seen more as a vessel for joy and relaxation and the actual bathing is done outside of the tub. It is considered to be the height of rudeness to actually get into the bathtub before cleaning oneself. Usually done with a stool and a bucket of water and a rag. Only the rich and powerful may have their own, private, bathing facilities; therefore, the rest of the more common folk make do with public bathhouses called sento.
For eating, many of the same rules apply for the Daiin as they do for the Dàyáng people. One of the main differences, however, is that the leaving of food on the plate tells the host that person would like another serving. Whereas, a completely clean plate is viewed as the eater being satiated. Among the Daiin, itadakimasu is always said before eating a meal. This is a phrase which gives thanks to the gods and all those whose work went into preparing the food.
It is considered to be a great honor to be invited into another person's home. As these are generally considered to be rather formal situations, it is customary to bring a small gift when visiting another person's home. Shoes, are of course, never worn inside the home so as to keep the floor of the home from being stained with dirt or mud from the outside world.
- San: San is the most commonplace honorific and is used as a token of respect used by equals of any age or either sex. This is sometimes pronounced as -han in certain local dialects, such as that used by the people of the Endless Fields of Reeds, though this is considered to be a "country bumpkin" affectation by most Daiin peoples.
- Sama: Sama is the more respectful version of -san to be used for individuals of higher rank. This is also the term most appropriately used when addressing gods or spirits.
- Tono: Pronounced -dono when attached to a name, this honorific is used between those who are of high social rank. Roughly translates to "milord."
- No kimi: This is often considered to be a more archaic term in the empire. However, it is still sometimes used to refer to the nobles of the Great Houses.
- Ue: This is a term which tends to denote a high level of respect from the speaker. It is generally used to refer to one's parents or older siblings. For example, chichi-ue, haha-ue. or ani- or ane-ue, for mother, father, older brother, or older sister, respectively.
- Senpai/Kohai: Senpai is used to refer to one's senior colleagues, again either in age or seniority, at a school or occupation. While senpai is used when speaking to a senior, kohai is never used when speaking directly to a junior, only when referring to them. Instead, one of the other honorific forms are used depending upon the speaker's relationship to their kohai.
- Sensei/Hakase: This term is used to refer to those who have achieved a mastery in some artform or skill. Therefore, it is most often used for teachers, doctors, or other artisans. It can be used either as a suffix or a title. Despite their perceived mastery, those who have achieved ranks in the Imperial Bureaucracy are not referred to as sensei. Instead, hakase is used.
- Kun: In general, this honorific is used by seniors when speaking to juniors, whether in age or status. While it is most often used for males, it can also be used for females to denote a more serious, less childlike, air. It can also be used for males whom the speaker has a more personal attachment.
- Chan: -chan is more a term of endearment than a standard honorific. It is generally used for young children, close friends, grandparents, or young women. It is not generally used for strangers or new acquaintances.
- Shi: This honorific is rarely used, and even then only in formal writings are incredibly formal settings. It is used to refer to someone of whom the speaker is unfamiliar. Meaning, the speaker knows this person by reputation only and has never formally met them.
The bowing etiquette within Daiin society is as rigid and structured as the rest of their society. Failure to perform the right type of bow, in the correct context, is often considered to be an offense. Therefore, the art of bowing is ingrained into every child from the time they're old enough to walk so that knowing the appropriate way of bowing in any social situation becomes as natural to them as breathing. The type of bow and the degree to which one bows is dependent upon the situation and the status of the individual one is bowing to. Overall, there are two major categories of bowing. They are: zarei (Bowing while kneeling) and ritsurei (Bowing while standing). The type of bow used depends entirely upon social setting. In more informal settings, a standing bow is most often used, whereas in formal settings, the sitting bow is most often put to use.
Like most peoples of the empire, Daiin bow when greeting each other. Whether stranger or friend. The bow is usually brief and slight at 15 degrees. For a friend, it is usually a simple inclination of the head. Whereas, for a stranger, it is a more formal bow from the waist. This bow is usually accompanied by a standard greeting such as a "Hello," or "Nice to meet you." This bow is called eshaku.
The next type of bow is the most commonly used in social situations. Especially when interacting with someone of slightly higher social status. The body is inclined from the waist at about 30 degrees and the gaze is on the floor. This bow is also used to express gratitude for something, or to apologize for a small infraction. This bow is called keirei.
The final bow is meant to show the utmost respect towards the other person. The person bowing bends forward at the waist at a steep 45 degree angle or more, depending upon the personage being bowed to. The gaze should, as above, rest firmly on the floor. The bow is used when greeting someone of significantly higher social status, expressing deep gratitude, asking for a favor, or showing deep sincerity for a large infraction. As such the bow should be held for an appropriate time to express one's deep feelings, whether respect, gratitude, or sorrow. This bow is called saikeirei.
With all standing bows, the hands should remain firmly at one's sides, with the eyes on the floor. The sitting bows also have three different ways of bowing, also used in much the same way as the standing bows, and with the same, general, reasons. The first one, called senrei, is used in primarily informal occasions, such as visiting the house of an acquaintance or stranger of equal social standing. The bow is from the waist at a slight 30 degrees, hands slid forward along the thighs, til the fingertips touch the ground.
The second sitting bow is called futsūrei and is the most commonly used seated bow in formal settings, or to show respect for someone of slightly higher station. The waist is bent until one is looking directly at the floor with hands placed flat on the ground before the face, fingertip touching, to form a triangle.
The third, and most formal seated bow, is also called saikeirei. It has the same connotations as the standing saikeirei, above. The person bows forward until their chest is touching their knees, and their forehead is on the ground between the triangle made by their hands.
There is even a semi-formal bow to be used when presenting a gift or offering called the sashiire. The bow is usually fairly slight while presenting the gift with both hands. While the receiver bows just as deeply in gratitude and receives the gift with both hands.
While not quite to the point of being a near-sacred ritual, like the kobito, bathing is still a very important part of the daily routine of Daiin people. For them, bathing is more of a ritual of relaxation and, among the lower classes, communal bonding than it is about actually getting clean. Therefore, the bathtub, itself, is seen more as a vessel for joy and relaxation and the actual bathing is done outside of the tub. It is considered to be the height of rudeness to actually get into the bathtub before cleaning oneself. Usually done with a stool and a bucket of water and a rag. Only the rich and powerful may have their own, private, bathing facilities; therefore, the rest of the more common folk make do with public bathhouses called sento.
For eating, many of the same rules apply for the Daiin as they do for the Dàyáng people. One of the main differences, however, is that the leaving of food on the plate tells the host that person would like another serving. Whereas, a completely clean plate is viewed as the eater being satiated. Among the Daiin, itadakimasu is always said before eating a meal. This is a phrase which gives thanks to the gods and all those whose work went into preparing the food.
It is considered to be a great honor to be invited into another person's home. As these are generally considered to be rather formal situations, it is customary to bring a small gift when visiting another person's home. Shoes, are of course, never worn inside the home so as to keep the floor of the home from being stained with dirt or mud from the outside world.
Common Dress code
Throughout the empire the divide between the higher social classes and the lower, between the wealthy and poor, is most obvious in the material from which their clothing is made. For the wealthy and privileged few, their clothes are made of silk and of cotton imported from the Jungles of the Snake People. For the vast majority of the population, however, cloth is hemp. Though some wealthy merchants can afford some silk garments, especially in areas like Jiku where the social rules are more lax, most often the best they can do is finely woven cotton or hemp themselves.
Clothing among the Daiin peoples tends to be more loosely worn and lighter due to the southern climes from which they typically hail. As well, the Yosei , due to the proximity of two major ethnic groups, have had a profound impact on the styles of clothing that are worn. Kimono are almost universally worn, though they tend to be shorter, falling only to the upper thigh, amongst the more active social classes such as soldiers and farmers. To supplement the shortness of these kimono, a pair of loose-fitting trousers, gathered at the ankle, called hakama are worn over the kimono. The traditional, white, loincloth is worn as an undergarment in both sexes. Women often bind their breasts back with strips of linen, also white. Though the Yang-style halter which ties in at the neck and in back has become more popular in recent decades. For the peasantry that work in or around bodies of water such as those of the Endless Fields of Reed and Water, the trousers are stitched shorter to around mid-thigh or shucked entirely during work hours.
For those more indolent classes, such as nobles or wealthy merchants, the hakama are often nowhere to be seen. Instead the kimono is longer and falls to the ankles. Though many noble houses who aspire to live up to their samurai, or daimyo, ancestors wear traditional hakama that are wide and billowy, almost skirt-like in their construction. On normal occasions, these stop at just above the feet, allowing the wearer to walk unimpeded. On formal occasions, however, they drape down to the floor, encasing the feet entirely and making it difficult to walk or maneuver without much practice. For tis reason, these type of hakama are very seldom worn in the modern empire. Even among the most staid of traditional Houses.
A sort of black, sleeveless overcoat with wide, stiffened shoulders, bearing the household crest is worn by all members of every noble house on formal occasions called the kataguri. Otherwise a sleeveless, black haori is worn which bear's the wearer's crest. Soldiers in service to a noble house also wear these haori.
Color is also often an indicator of a person's relative rank in society. Peasant garb is most often dyed a deep indigo when it is dyed at all. The plant from which it is drawn often being grown by the farmers themselves to both dye their own clothing and to supplement their often meager incomes by selling at market. The only exception to this rule being the undergarments, which are often dyed a brilliant red for luck and the warding off of pestilant spirits.
The most luxuriously colorful kimono often indicate a person of wealth or standing. These people often have several dozen such garments, each carefully embroidered and dyed to reflect the occasion and the season in which it is worn. As there are strict, traditional rules about which colors and what embroidery can be worn in a particular season. For example, darker colors with russet colored leaves are to be worn in the cooler months; whereas lighter colors with floral designs are acceptable during the months of Wood & of Fire. As a general rule, men's clothing tends to be darker and solid in color without any elaborate print, or embroidered, designs. Though, in the modern empire, this is not always the case.
For the upper echelons of society, a pair of white, tabi socks and a pair of finely woven waraji or tall, wooden clogs complete the outfit. For the peasantry, it is more often just the waraji. Though, when working the fields they may have a pair of stilted clogs to keep their feet from sinking into the muck.
Clothing among the Daiin peoples tends to be more loosely worn and lighter due to the southern climes from which they typically hail. As well, the Yosei , due to the proximity of two major ethnic groups, have had a profound impact on the styles of clothing that are worn. Kimono are almost universally worn, though they tend to be shorter, falling only to the upper thigh, amongst the more active social classes such as soldiers and farmers. To supplement the shortness of these kimono, a pair of loose-fitting trousers, gathered at the ankle, called hakama are worn over the kimono. The traditional, white, loincloth is worn as an undergarment in both sexes. Women often bind their breasts back with strips of linen, also white. Though the Yang-style halter which ties in at the neck and in back has become more popular in recent decades. For the peasantry that work in or around bodies of water such as those of the Endless Fields of Reed and Water, the trousers are stitched shorter to around mid-thigh or shucked entirely during work hours.
For those more indolent classes, such as nobles or wealthy merchants, the hakama are often nowhere to be seen. Instead the kimono is longer and falls to the ankles. Though many noble houses who aspire to live up to their samurai, or daimyo, ancestors wear traditional hakama that are wide and billowy, almost skirt-like in their construction. On normal occasions, these stop at just above the feet, allowing the wearer to walk unimpeded. On formal occasions, however, they drape down to the floor, encasing the feet entirely and making it difficult to walk or maneuver without much practice. For tis reason, these type of hakama are very seldom worn in the modern empire. Even among the most staid of traditional Houses.
A sort of black, sleeveless overcoat with wide, stiffened shoulders, bearing the household crest is worn by all members of every noble house on formal occasions called the kataguri. Otherwise a sleeveless, black haori is worn which bear's the wearer's crest. Soldiers in service to a noble house also wear these haori.
Color is also often an indicator of a person's relative rank in society. Peasant garb is most often dyed a deep indigo when it is dyed at all. The plant from which it is drawn often being grown by the farmers themselves to both dye their own clothing and to supplement their often meager incomes by selling at market. The only exception to this rule being the undergarments, which are often dyed a brilliant red for luck and the warding off of pestilant spirits.
The most luxuriously colorful kimono often indicate a person of wealth or standing. These people often have several dozen such garments, each carefully embroidered and dyed to reflect the occasion and the season in which it is worn. As there are strict, traditional rules about which colors and what embroidery can be worn in a particular season. For example, darker colors with russet colored leaves are to be worn in the cooler months; whereas lighter colors with floral designs are acceptable during the months of Wood & of Fire. As a general rule, men's clothing tends to be darker and solid in color without any elaborate print, or embroidered, designs. Though, in the modern empire, this is not always the case.
For the upper echelons of society, a pair of white, tabi socks and a pair of finely woven waraji or tall, wooden clogs complete the outfit. For the peasantry, it is more often just the waraji. Though, when working the fields they may have a pair of stilted clogs to keep their feet from sinking into the muck.
Art & Architecture
Architecture is fairly homogenous throughout the empire with buildings being heavily influenced by the ideals of qigong and feng shui as practiced by the Kobito and Yosei peoples. However, with stone being less plentiful in the lower, and warmer, southern portions of the empire, most structures are made entirely of wood, straw, and even paper for inner walls. For this reason, laws are in place that make it mandatory to erect wards to prevent fires from catching in the highly combustible building materials. Of course, these wardings can be prohibitively expensive and while there are government programs in place to cover the costs for less wealthy people, they don't always work. In places where the central government is not as strong or is corrupt these wardings grow old and fail or are never placed at all. So the risk of fire, especially in poorer districts, are still very real. As well, there are even more ancient laws from before the Divine Mandate which make arson a crime punishable by death. A law that is still very strictly enforced.
Though all of the government buildings and those belonging to the wealthy have the distinct terracotta-tile roofs and curved gables, many of the roofs are simply slanted with wooden tiles or straw thatching. Most of these have simple wooden or even dirt floors, while the wealthy have luxuriant tatami mats and lacquered, wooden floors. Most peasant houses are single-room dwellings with a fire-pit for cooking and simple alcove in which to sleep. Like the rest of the empire, the number of rooms, i.e. the size, in one's dwelling is directly predicated upon his or her social standing.
Though some buildings such as shops, inns, brothels, and castles may be two stories or more, most buildings are single-story affairs, sprawling over several square li of land. This is particularly true of large manor houses. They are usually composed of several, multi-roomed, and sometimes multi-storied, buildings interconnected by covered walkways of wood or, sometimes, stones. These sprawling estates will often feature large, beautiful gardens meticulously landscaped to resemble nature without actually being wild. Even in the middle of a large city. Water features, such as a small pond and brook are not uncommon either. Without fail, however, no manor house is complete without a wall, either of stone or wood, and a large gate surmounted by a roofed portico and the family's crest.
Shops will feature living quarters either behind or above the actual shop front itself. Unlike their Yang-aligned counterparts, they do not often feature a single door through which the customer enters. Rather, the entire front wall is composed of wooden shutters that are slid aside to open up the storefront to the street. Cloth banners advertising the shop's wares or specialty are hung from a bamboo pole hooked to the front wall. These front ends are often raised several feet off the ground in the case of floods which are particularly prevalent in the southern lowland areas. The only real exceptions to this general rule are restaurants, brothels, playhouses, and teahouses which use single, or double, doors to allow customers entry. Restaurants still use the hanging banner over the door to advertise their wares while brothels advertise their "wares" either via the girls posing behind red-lacquered, wooden screens or hanging over second-story balconies and calling out to passersby on the streets below. Red lanterns are also used as signposts at night for businesses throughout the various hanamachi.
Temples throughout the empire hail from a period of time before the samurai appropriated much of the aesthetic values and practices of the various spirit-folk around them. Therefore temple architecture is more simplistic than many of the buildings of the Middle Empire. They are usually sinple, sloped roofed long-houses without many of the added embellishments of the eaves and cornices of more modern architecture making them appear rustic in their profile. Though the roofs usually hang lower to the ground and the cross-beams overlap each other giving most temples a unique, horned facade. This is only true of the main temple building itself, however. Most temple grounds are large and feature several buildings spread over a paved courtyard. They most often conform to more modern architectural values and are used as living quarters for the kamunushi and miko who tend the temple grounds and hold dance stages for the various kagura performed by the shrine maidens.
All temples are festooned with shimenawa with hanging paper stripes called shide to denote the sacred space. These are most prominently hung in front of the doors to the temple, and shrine, itself as only priests and priestesses are allowed to enter the domicile of the god itself. Therefore, large bells with attached shimenawa and offering boxes are situated before the door in order for the supplicant to get the god's notice and have their prayers listened to. Most temple grounds also have one or more trees, rocks, or other natural feature roped off, as these things are thought to be either the dwelling place of a god or to be especially sacred to the main god itself.
Artwork is something that is fairly homogeneous across the Middle Empire. From aesthetics, to style, to even type, artwork is something that has been codified down to its minutest detail over the millennia. Many of the types of art practiced have their roots among the Xiao and the Yosei, such as flower arranging. These various crafts, often used as forms of meditation by the spirit-folk, were taught to the nascent samurai who then spread the techniques and passed them on to the rest of the empire. As such these same aesthetic values and styles in painting, calligraphy, and poetry have been encoded in traditional, rigid rules. Artwork in the empire isn't valued so much for its unique qualities as it is for the artist's ability to adhere to traditional values.
Though all of the government buildings and those belonging to the wealthy have the distinct terracotta-tile roofs and curved gables, many of the roofs are simply slanted with wooden tiles or straw thatching. Most of these have simple wooden or even dirt floors, while the wealthy have luxuriant tatami mats and lacquered, wooden floors. Most peasant houses are single-room dwellings with a fire-pit for cooking and simple alcove in which to sleep. Like the rest of the empire, the number of rooms, i.e. the size, in one's dwelling is directly predicated upon his or her social standing.
Though some buildings such as shops, inns, brothels, and castles may be two stories or more, most buildings are single-story affairs, sprawling over several square li of land. This is particularly true of large manor houses. They are usually composed of several, multi-roomed, and sometimes multi-storied, buildings interconnected by covered walkways of wood or, sometimes, stones. These sprawling estates will often feature large, beautiful gardens meticulously landscaped to resemble nature without actually being wild. Even in the middle of a large city. Water features, such as a small pond and brook are not uncommon either. Without fail, however, no manor house is complete without a wall, either of stone or wood, and a large gate surmounted by a roofed portico and the family's crest.
Shops will feature living quarters either behind or above the actual shop front itself. Unlike their Yang-aligned counterparts, they do not often feature a single door through which the customer enters. Rather, the entire front wall is composed of wooden shutters that are slid aside to open up the storefront to the street. Cloth banners advertising the shop's wares or specialty are hung from a bamboo pole hooked to the front wall. These front ends are often raised several feet off the ground in the case of floods which are particularly prevalent in the southern lowland areas. The only real exceptions to this general rule are restaurants, brothels, playhouses, and teahouses which use single, or double, doors to allow customers entry. Restaurants still use the hanging banner over the door to advertise their wares while brothels advertise their "wares" either via the girls posing behind red-lacquered, wooden screens or hanging over second-story balconies and calling out to passersby on the streets below. Red lanterns are also used as signposts at night for businesses throughout the various hanamachi.
Temples throughout the empire hail from a period of time before the samurai appropriated much of the aesthetic values and practices of the various spirit-folk around them. Therefore temple architecture is more simplistic than many of the buildings of the Middle Empire. They are usually sinple, sloped roofed long-houses without many of the added embellishments of the eaves and cornices of more modern architecture making them appear rustic in their profile. Though the roofs usually hang lower to the ground and the cross-beams overlap each other giving most temples a unique, horned facade. This is only true of the main temple building itself, however. Most temple grounds are large and feature several buildings spread over a paved courtyard. They most often conform to more modern architectural values and are used as living quarters for the kamunushi and miko who tend the temple grounds and hold dance stages for the various kagura performed by the shrine maidens.
All temples are festooned with shimenawa with hanging paper stripes called shide to denote the sacred space. These are most prominently hung in front of the doors to the temple, and shrine, itself as only priests and priestesses are allowed to enter the domicile of the god itself. Therefore, large bells with attached shimenawa and offering boxes are situated before the door in order for the supplicant to get the god's notice and have their prayers listened to. Most temple grounds also have one or more trees, rocks, or other natural feature roped off, as these things are thought to be either the dwelling place of a god or to be especially sacred to the main god itself.
Artwork is something that is fairly homogeneous across the Middle Empire. From aesthetics, to style, to even type, artwork is something that has been codified down to its minutest detail over the millennia. Many of the types of art practiced have their roots among the Xiao and the Yosei, such as flower arranging. These various crafts, often used as forms of meditation by the spirit-folk, were taught to the nascent samurai who then spread the techniques and passed them on to the rest of the empire. As such these same aesthetic values and styles in painting, calligraphy, and poetry have been encoded in traditional, rigid rules. Artwork in the empire isn't valued so much for its unique qualities as it is for the artist's ability to adhere to traditional values.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Due to the long history of sharing, and, at times, outright appropriation, of different cultures in the empire many of the traditions and customs are practiced by the empire as a whole. Though some of the various provinces do have their own customs or twists on existing ones that will be noted in their own articles.
Perhaps fueled by their own adherence to Yin and logic, the Daiinjin possess a seemingly instinctual awareness of social structure and hierarchy and an individual's place within it. So ingrained is this awareness in the psyche of the people as a whole that it has been woven into their very language in the form honorifics and terms of address. Even between parents and children.
In the Daiin society one must always be aware of the proper forms of address to one's superiors, equals, and subordinates. As well as the proper actions to take with each. Even the simple bow of respect practiced by all people across the empire, takes on different meanings in the Yin lands in particular depending upon who is bowing to whom. It can even convey a lot about one person's attitudes towards another. From a slight inclination of the head to a full-on kowtow, the deference and respect one person shows to another can have a whole host of meanings. The only peoples with equally elaborate social customs are the Kobito and the Mu Xiao.
One of the more intricate customs observed among the Daiin people is the tea ceremony. Another tradition having its roots in wood elf society, the tea ceremony is an elaborate ritual often utilized by the ancient samurai to show admiration to close comrades, to show favor to promising underlings, or to show respect to a superior. The ceremony is incredibly complex involving such minutiae as the proper way to pick up the tea cup and drink the tea to the proper edibles to be served and consumed at what stage of the ceremony and which season it's being held in. With even settings and displayed art being dependent upon the season.
Sumo is a popular sport among the Daiinjin and one those few traditions that don't have their roots in the Age of the Bushi. The sport, rather, traces its ultimate origin to the Xiong Xue, the Rite of Ferocious Blood, of the Water Buffalo-folk. This incredibly ancient blood rite eventually grew into what is known as sumo in the modern empire. Though sumo is highly ritualized and many of its aspects are tied into the imperial religion, it is a highly popular spectator sport. Particularly in the Endless Fields of Reeds where it was originated. The final grand tournament, or basho, is considered a festival day among the Daiin peoples. This is held in the Grand Dohyo in the Endless Fields.
All across the Middle Empire, the number four is considered to be unlucky due to it's sounding similar to the word "death" in both common languages (si, shi and siwang, shi respectively). However, in the Daiin lands, 49 is considered to be a particularly unfortunate number due to it sounding like the phrase, "pain until death." So, while the other number is shirked and avoided when possible, forty-nine is avoided like the plague god.
Due to their rigid societal structure and their near-compulsive aversion to any perceived loss of Face, privacy is considered to be almost sacrosanct. Therefore, to be invited into another person's home is both a great honor and a privilege. It is considered the height of impropriety to show up at a person's home without a small gift to thank them for the honor they've shown.
In social situations, it is considered highly inappropriate for a person to pour their own drink. It is expected that the lowest ranked person in the room will pour drinks for everyone starting with the highest ranked person first and going down from there. The next lowest ranked person is expected to pour for the lowest and to be thanked for the courtesy shown.
Throughout the empire red is a highly auspicious color due to its association with the Yang Principle, life, and good fortune. Due to this, the color red is a fairly ubiquitous color, used anywhere and everywhere from government buildings to temples to paper lanterns to underwear. Many people, in fact, are often loathe to spend their last red jade piece despite its relatively low monetary value in the hopes that its inherent good fortune will bring them more money in the future. Peasants, if they're lucky enough to even see a red piece, will often enshrine any they get in their household shrines in the hopes of bringing a general good fortune to their homes. Many people in the Yin lands do this as well. However, despite the negative associations the color black often has, Daiinjin will also hang onto a single black piece of jade for the same purposes due to its association with their aligned Principle.
One of the most important customs observed empire-wide is the daily prayer and offerings at the household kamidana. Incense is burned, flowers are replaced in vases, and offerings of rice are made to the gods and ancestors and prayers of reverence and thanks are offered for the continued good fortune of the family and home. Weddings among the Daiinjin are often arranged and the couple are nearly always of the same social strata. Like so many other ceremonies and traditions within the empire, the most auspicious day possible is chosen, and for those of the Daiin peoples, full moons tend to fall within that category. This means that the wedding ceremony, itself, is held at night and typically under the watchful eye of a full moon.
Though, in the far-distant past, weddings were typically held with the same level of nonchalance displayed by the Kotengu, the ceremony held by the Daiinjin in current times has its roots as far back as the Age of the Bushi. It was viewed that an appropriate level of pomp and circumstance were required for the weddings of such august personages as the daimyo lords and the shogun to be considered legitimate. First, the marriages began to be arranged, then came the elaborate, and often magnificent, wedding trousseaus, then the priests and the ceremony itself became commonplace.
The assembly of the wedding trousseau often takes place over several weeks and includes all the things that a bride is thought to need when moving into her new husband's household. As these things are included as part of the dowry, many of these things are often elaborate and expensive (especially within well-to-do families) and can include things like furniture, kimono, weaponry (especially the traditional bows and naginata), cosmetics, bedding, arts and crafts items (like calligraphy sets), and even board games. The most elaborate trousseaus are assembled on large wagons to be pulled behind the bride as part of her procession. Others are carried by footmen, or relatives, in chests from by those of lower status or wealth.
The preparations for the bride often takes an entire day before the ceremony that night. First, she must ritually bathe herself, cleansing her body of the negative energies of her life from before that day in order to not bring any lingering regrets into her new household. After which, she applies subtly scented oils and dons her underkimono. Her hair is done up in the traditional, bridal style called bunkin takashimada. An elaborate style with a very high-set bun meant to highlight the bride's face from every angle and to symbolically wish her a happy marriage. The entire, elaborate affair is held in place with themed kanzashi and beeswax combed through her hair. This whole process taking several hours to perform.
After this, the cosmetics are applied, including rice powder to lighten the skin (if needed), beni lipstick, and kohl to line the eyes and darken the eyebrows. She then dons three more layers of kimono with the outer kimono being the most formal and elaborate. Brides of higher status families will wear a colorful kimono called an uchikake elaborately embroidered with traditional scenes from the ancient lands of Wa or of the Blessed Isles. The outer kimono of lower status women, while no less elaborately embroidered, are pure white using white thread on white silk called shiromuku.
Finally, she dons the tsunokakushi, a small headdress of rectangular, white silk folded over her complex hairstyle to create a veil in order to hide her "horns." It is unknown when or where this, particular, custom came into widespread usage, but theories and stories abound from a noblewoman wanting to hide a blemish or a bald spot to a man wanting to hide the ears or actual horns of his fox or oni bride. Regardless of the origins, it has become symbolic of a young woman settling down and allowing her mind to dull the "horns" of her greater connection to the Yang Principle. Brides of higher status household will also wear a wataboshi, a large, circular headpiece folded over her head in order to keep any eyes but her husband's from seeing her.
Finally, once the sun has set, torches are lit, gathered musicians begin to play, female dancers called katsurame begin their sacred dance, the bride is loaded into the prepared palanquin, the wagon or footmen arranged behind her to carry the trousseau, and the wedding procession begins. The bride's parents accompany her on foot, keeping pace with the palanquin. The procession is generally a joyous affair full of laughter, dancing, and music as they make their way to her new husband's home.
The soon-to-be groom stands at the gate to his residence dressed in traditional black kimono, hakama, and a haori jacket with his hair pulled up into a traditional topknot. With his family, and possibly attendants, around him where he waits to greet his new bride.
When the wedding procession reaches the house, the groom's family or attendants take the trousseau to the newly prepared bridal suite while the couple and their parents move into the reception hall where an altar has been erected with a priest and a miko standing to the right and left. The couple are seated before the altar with their parents to either side. The priest and the miko call the attention and blessings of the gods before pouring a small dish of sake which the groom first sips, then the bride. The second, larger dish is passed to the bride before going to the groom. Then the third larger dish goes again to the groom before being passed to the bride. This is another ancient, samurai ritual which is thought to symbolize the couple's union before the gods, the spirits, and the humans present.
After which, the benediction of the gods is called by the attending priests again upon the now newly married couple. The bride and groom each bow deeply to their parents in thanks. Then the bride changes into a beautiful red kimono to symbolize her newfound joy and a feast is had to celebrate.
Perhaps fueled by their own adherence to Yin and logic, the Daiinjin possess a seemingly instinctual awareness of social structure and hierarchy and an individual's place within it. So ingrained is this awareness in the psyche of the people as a whole that it has been woven into their very language in the form honorifics and terms of address. Even between parents and children.
In the Daiin society one must always be aware of the proper forms of address to one's superiors, equals, and subordinates. As well as the proper actions to take with each. Even the simple bow of respect practiced by all people across the empire, takes on different meanings in the Yin lands in particular depending upon who is bowing to whom. It can even convey a lot about one person's attitudes towards another. From a slight inclination of the head to a full-on kowtow, the deference and respect one person shows to another can have a whole host of meanings. The only peoples with equally elaborate social customs are the Kobito and the Mu Xiao.
One of the more intricate customs observed among the Daiin people is the tea ceremony. Another tradition having its roots in wood elf society, the tea ceremony is an elaborate ritual often utilized by the ancient samurai to show admiration to close comrades, to show favor to promising underlings, or to show respect to a superior. The ceremony is incredibly complex involving such minutiae as the proper way to pick up the tea cup and drink the tea to the proper edibles to be served and consumed at what stage of the ceremony and which season it's being held in. With even settings and displayed art being dependent upon the season.
Sumo is a popular sport among the Daiinjin and one those few traditions that don't have their roots in the Age of the Bushi. The sport, rather, traces its ultimate origin to the Xiong Xue, the Rite of Ferocious Blood, of the Water Buffalo-folk. This incredibly ancient blood rite eventually grew into what is known as sumo in the modern empire. Though sumo is highly ritualized and many of its aspects are tied into the imperial religion, it is a highly popular spectator sport. Particularly in the Endless Fields of Reeds where it was originated. The final grand tournament, or basho, is considered a festival day among the Daiin peoples. This is held in the Grand Dohyo in the Endless Fields.
All across the Middle Empire, the number four is considered to be unlucky due to it's sounding similar to the word "death" in both common languages (si, shi and siwang, shi respectively). However, in the Daiin lands, 49 is considered to be a particularly unfortunate number due to it sounding like the phrase, "pain until death." So, while the other number is shirked and avoided when possible, forty-nine is avoided like the plague god.
Due to their rigid societal structure and their near-compulsive aversion to any perceived loss of Face, privacy is considered to be almost sacrosanct. Therefore, to be invited into another person's home is both a great honor and a privilege. It is considered the height of impropriety to show up at a person's home without a small gift to thank them for the honor they've shown.
In social situations, it is considered highly inappropriate for a person to pour their own drink. It is expected that the lowest ranked person in the room will pour drinks for everyone starting with the highest ranked person first and going down from there. The next lowest ranked person is expected to pour for the lowest and to be thanked for the courtesy shown.
Throughout the empire red is a highly auspicious color due to its association with the Yang Principle, life, and good fortune. Due to this, the color red is a fairly ubiquitous color, used anywhere and everywhere from government buildings to temples to paper lanterns to underwear. Many people, in fact, are often loathe to spend their last red jade piece despite its relatively low monetary value in the hopes that its inherent good fortune will bring them more money in the future. Peasants, if they're lucky enough to even see a red piece, will often enshrine any they get in their household shrines in the hopes of bringing a general good fortune to their homes. Many people in the Yin lands do this as well. However, despite the negative associations the color black often has, Daiinjin will also hang onto a single black piece of jade for the same purposes due to its association with their aligned Principle.
One of the most important customs observed empire-wide is the daily prayer and offerings at the household kamidana. Incense is burned, flowers are replaced in vases, and offerings of rice are made to the gods and ancestors and prayers of reverence and thanks are offered for the continued good fortune of the family and home. Weddings among the Daiinjin are often arranged and the couple are nearly always of the same social strata. Like so many other ceremonies and traditions within the empire, the most auspicious day possible is chosen, and for those of the Daiin peoples, full moons tend to fall within that category. This means that the wedding ceremony, itself, is held at night and typically under the watchful eye of a full moon.
Though, in the far-distant past, weddings were typically held with the same level of nonchalance displayed by the Kotengu, the ceremony held by the Daiinjin in current times has its roots as far back as the Age of the Bushi. It was viewed that an appropriate level of pomp and circumstance were required for the weddings of such august personages as the daimyo lords and the shogun to be considered legitimate. First, the marriages began to be arranged, then came the elaborate, and often magnificent, wedding trousseaus, then the priests and the ceremony itself became commonplace.
The assembly of the wedding trousseau often takes place over several weeks and includes all the things that a bride is thought to need when moving into her new husband's household. As these things are included as part of the dowry, many of these things are often elaborate and expensive (especially within well-to-do families) and can include things like furniture, kimono, weaponry (especially the traditional bows and naginata), cosmetics, bedding, arts and crafts items (like calligraphy sets), and even board games. The most elaborate trousseaus are assembled on large wagons to be pulled behind the bride as part of her procession. Others are carried by footmen, or relatives, in chests from by those of lower status or wealth.
The preparations for the bride often takes an entire day before the ceremony that night. First, she must ritually bathe herself, cleansing her body of the negative energies of her life from before that day in order to not bring any lingering regrets into her new household. After which, she applies subtly scented oils and dons her underkimono. Her hair is done up in the traditional, bridal style called bunkin takashimada. An elaborate style with a very high-set bun meant to highlight the bride's face from every angle and to symbolically wish her a happy marriage. The entire, elaborate affair is held in place with themed kanzashi and beeswax combed through her hair. This whole process taking several hours to perform.
After this, the cosmetics are applied, including rice powder to lighten the skin (if needed), beni lipstick, and kohl to line the eyes and darken the eyebrows. She then dons three more layers of kimono with the outer kimono being the most formal and elaborate. Brides of higher status families will wear a colorful kimono called an uchikake elaborately embroidered with traditional scenes from the ancient lands of Wa or of the Blessed Isles. The outer kimono of lower status women, while no less elaborately embroidered, are pure white using white thread on white silk called shiromuku.
Finally, she dons the tsunokakushi, a small headdress of rectangular, white silk folded over her complex hairstyle to create a veil in order to hide her "horns." It is unknown when or where this, particular, custom came into widespread usage, but theories and stories abound from a noblewoman wanting to hide a blemish or a bald spot to a man wanting to hide the ears or actual horns of his fox or oni bride. Regardless of the origins, it has become symbolic of a young woman settling down and allowing her mind to dull the "horns" of her greater connection to the Yang Principle. Brides of higher status household will also wear a wataboshi, a large, circular headpiece folded over her head in order to keep any eyes but her husband's from seeing her.
Finally, once the sun has set, torches are lit, gathered musicians begin to play, female dancers called katsurame begin their sacred dance, the bride is loaded into the prepared palanquin, the wagon or footmen arranged behind her to carry the trousseau, and the wedding procession begins. The bride's parents accompany her on foot, keeping pace with the palanquin. The procession is generally a joyous affair full of laughter, dancing, and music as they make their way to her new husband's home.
The soon-to-be groom stands at the gate to his residence dressed in traditional black kimono, hakama, and a haori jacket with his hair pulled up into a traditional topknot. With his family, and possibly attendants, around him where he waits to greet his new bride.
When the wedding procession reaches the house, the groom's family or attendants take the trousseau to the newly prepared bridal suite while the couple and their parents move into the reception hall where an altar has been erected with a priest and a miko standing to the right and left. The couple are seated before the altar with their parents to either side. The priest and the miko call the attention and blessings of the gods before pouring a small dish of sake which the groom first sips, then the bride. The second, larger dish is passed to the bride before going to the groom. Then the third larger dish goes again to the groom before being passed to the bride. This is another ancient, samurai ritual which is thought to symbolize the couple's union before the gods, the spirits, and the humans present.
After which, the benediction of the gods is called by the attending priests again upon the now newly married couple. The bride and groom each bow deeply to their parents in thanks. Then the bride changes into a beautiful red kimono to symbolize her newfound joy and a feast is had to celebrate.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Pregnancy is generally looked on as a time of joy and celebration in the empire, regardless of race, ethnicity, or location. While many, if not all, women will go to a shrine dedicated to children and childbirth upon learning they're pregnant, a uniquely Daiinjin ritual is that of the obi iwai. In the fifth month of pregnancy, on the first day of the Kirin, itself a benevolent spirit of Balance and Protection, the pregnant woman goes to the shrine as normal. However, while she is there she may obtain a special obi, blessed by the priestesses of the shrine to ensure the health and protection of the growing child. The obi, typically the yellow color of the Kirin, is worn under the clothes and against the abdomen and will keep the belly warm for the fetus and also help support its weight as it grows. As well, it is supposed to ensure a safe and painless delivery.
Another custom celebrated throughout the empire is the Naming Day. This is typically done on the seventh day after the child is born when the parent that isn't still in pain writes the child's name on a special fuda in calligraphic script and places it inside the family's shrine where it will remain until they come of age. This officially announces the child's name to the family and the ancestors.
Once the child is a month old it is dressed in formal attire and brought to the local shrine to be introduced to the gods and to the community as a whole. This latter is especially true in smaller villages. A small blessing is bestowed by the kamunushi for the child's health and general well-being, after which a small feast is prepared to celebrate by either the family or village.
At age three, the toddler is taken to the shrine once again, this time before the head miko. There, the miko will commune with her god and determine the child's most probable life path. This path is not set in stone as the future is murky even to the gods. However, in most cases, it can be eerily, or even completely, accurate. The child of farmers is most likely to be a farmer, after all.
Another custom celebrated throughout the empire is the Naming Day. This is typically done on the seventh day after the child is born when the parent that isn't still in pain writes the child's name on a special fuda in calligraphic script and places it inside the family's shrine where it will remain until they come of age. This officially announces the child's name to the family and the ancestors.
Once the child is a month old it is dressed in formal attire and brought to the local shrine to be introduced to the gods and to the community as a whole. This latter is especially true in smaller villages. A small blessing is bestowed by the kamunushi for the child's health and general well-being, after which a small feast is prepared to celebrate by either the family or village.
At age three, the toddler is taken to the shrine once again, this time before the head miko. There, the miko will commune with her god and determine the child's most probable life path. This path is not set in stone as the future is murky even to the gods. However, in most cases, it can be eerily, or even completely, accurate. The child of farmers is most likely to be a farmer, after all.
Coming of Age Rites
Until children reach their majority and enter adulthood, usually around the age of sixteen (though this can increase into the early twenties in aristocratic families), children are called wakashu and are generally considered to be sexless "children of the gods." Their clothes are gender neutral and their hair often goes uncut and is pulled forward and braided into two forelocks framing the face. Due to the connotations of this style, Miko will often wear their hair long, bound back with a white strip and leaving two, braided forelocks on either side of their face to indicate their "untouchable, divine" status.
Upon being determined ready to enter adulthood, the children are taken, once more, before the local shrine by their parents and what is called a "capping parent." This is usually an elder that has trained the child in their field of work; usually a tutor, patron, a higher-ranked noble or master of their craft. This person is there to usher in the child to adult status and help them don the ceremonial, adult clothing and, most importantly, the headgear appropriate to their chosen profession.
Once at the temple itself, the child's forelocks are either shorn or unbound. Which is done is dependent upon profession and, sometimes, sex. Men will typically shear them off and choose to cut the rest of their hair shorter. Women who eschew the warrior classes will often bind their hair up in elaborate styles in imitation of upper class women and women of ancient times. Men and women who choose the warrior's path will cut their hair to shoulder length then bind it up atop their heads in the traditional topknot worn by the ancient samurai. These are often worn only for the night, however, as after the ceremony they are considered adults and can do what they please with their own hair.
After the ritual cutting or unbinding of their hair, the ceremonial headgear is placed upon their heads. The headgear varies with the profession, whether that be the traditional hat of a priest or bureaucrat or the large helmet of a samurai is up to the individual child, at least in theory. To state that the parents have no say in their children's choices would be a fallacy. Once this is done, the child-no-more goes to a private area to don their first adult clothing, they return to the shrine to be blessed by the priest and have their new, adult name recorded by both the priest and magistrate, and they are then welcomed into the community as contributing, fully-fledged men or women. With all the privileges and responsibilities contained therein.
Upon being determined ready to enter adulthood, the children are taken, once more, before the local shrine by their parents and what is called a "capping parent." This is usually an elder that has trained the child in their field of work; usually a tutor, patron, a higher-ranked noble or master of their craft. This person is there to usher in the child to adult status and help them don the ceremonial, adult clothing and, most importantly, the headgear appropriate to their chosen profession.
Once at the temple itself, the child's forelocks are either shorn or unbound. Which is done is dependent upon profession and, sometimes, sex. Men will typically shear them off and choose to cut the rest of their hair shorter. Women who eschew the warrior classes will often bind their hair up in elaborate styles in imitation of upper class women and women of ancient times. Men and women who choose the warrior's path will cut their hair to shoulder length then bind it up atop their heads in the traditional topknot worn by the ancient samurai. These are often worn only for the night, however, as after the ceremony they are considered adults and can do what they please with their own hair.
After the ritual cutting or unbinding of their hair, the ceremonial headgear is placed upon their heads. The headgear varies with the profession, whether that be the traditional hat of a priest or bureaucrat or the large helmet of a samurai is up to the individual child, at least in theory. To state that the parents have no say in their children's choices would be a fallacy. Once this is done, the child-no-more goes to a private area to don their first adult clothing, they return to the shrine to be blessed by the priest and have their new, adult name recorded by both the priest and magistrate, and they are then welcomed into the community as contributing, fully-fledged men or women. With all the privileges and responsibilities contained therein.
Funerary and Memorial customs
The original burial practices of the ancient humans are long since lost to the mists of time. Though evidence of ancient rites can be seen scattered throughout the Middle Empire in, sometimes massive, burial mounds and tombs, and crumbling crypts of extinct family lines. They can be felt in the legends and tales of vast treasures in the tombs of long-forgotten kings and warlords. All of that is ancient history. What exists in the modern empire is what the ancient shogun, daimyo, and samurai popularized, passed down, and made law. The ancient warrior class were adherents of the Eightfold Path and, though neither Shinto nor the Eightfold Path are mutually exclusive religions, the latter has waned in popularity since the decline of the samurai.
Perhaps due to the nature of grief and death, the fairly unique fusion of religions in their funerary rites is one of the few things to still exist from those tumultuous times. The funeral ritual itself is complex and involves many steps that must be completed in the correct order and in exacting detail. Any missed steps or deviation from the process could have dire consequences to both the deceased and the living relatives.
When a person dies in the empire, the small doors to the family shrine are closed and sealed with white paper to keep the impure dead out and a small table with incense, flowers, and a candle are placed by the deceased, then the eldest, living child begins the funeral preparations. The first thing that must be done, as close to the actual time of death as possible, is the anointing of the deceased's lips with water to symbolize the person's last drink. After this, the body is ritually washed clean, dressed in a white kimono and placed with the head facing north. This is normally done by the family, or, in wealthier families, professionals called nokansha, are hired from among the burakumin to perform these unclean tasks.
Either just before the moving of the body, or during if nokansha are being used, the family announces the death to the spirit world through prayer and memorialization at the family shrine. After the body is placed and a ceremonial knife laid at its side, food offerings are made to the gods. Afterwards, the body is placed in a coffin, again either by the family or nokansha, and daily food offerings begin to be made to the deceased twice a day until the body is laid to rest. Traditionally, these offerings are to be the deceased's favorite foods.
At this point, the local shrine is contacted and informed of the spirit's "return to the shrine," and the priests begin ritually purifying the ground in which the departed will be buried with water and prayer. After this is done the priest will then purify him- or herself in preparation for the actual wake that is the next step in the funeral rite.
This point in the rite has the mourners gather to offer condolences and offer gifts to the gods (i.e. the shrine) and, sometimes, to the family as well. All are garbed in ceremonial, black kimono. The priest offers prayers for the spirit and to comfort the bereaved. Once these prayers are done, the priest then ritually transfers the deceased's shen into a wooden tablet held over the body for this purpose. After this is done, refreshments are usually served. It is very important that this food be prepared off-site in order to avoid being contaminated with the energies of Yomi.
In the next step, the room where the funeral has taken place is purified and the priest offers eulogies to the dead; then the mourners are allowed to say their goodbyes. Each of the attendees lines up, single file, and walks past the body offering prayers and condolences to the family and the dead. Then the coffin is prepared to leave the home and carried to the site where it will be burned. This is done, again, either by the family themselves or the nokansha. For warriors or nobles, a sword is placed on the coffin with banners arranged around it so that the po and hun will know it is time to move on. If the soul was neither warrior nor noble, then just the banners suffice.
While the body is being moved, the home where the funeral was held, as a whole, is purified by priests and extended family to make it once more suitable for the living. Once the body is on-site for cremation, the family makes offerings to the deceased and places them in the coffin with the body. These are usually things that person enjoyed in life that are easily combustible. Prayers are led by the priest and the body is burned.
Once the fire has burned down and the ashes have cooled, the family then sifts through them to find any bones that weren't immolated and place them in the burial urn along with most of the ashes. This is done with long, metal chopsticks and is properly done starting at the feet and working up to the head. This way the deceased isn't upside down or all jumbled together in its final resting place. Some of these ashes are given to individual family members to be ensconced in clay, ancestral tablets to be placed in the family shrine.
After all of this is done, final prayers are uttered and thanks are given to those who attended the funeral and the urn is placed under the ancestral grave with any others that might be there.
Perhaps due to the nature of grief and death, the fairly unique fusion of religions in their funerary rites is one of the few things to still exist from those tumultuous times. The funeral ritual itself is complex and involves many steps that must be completed in the correct order and in exacting detail. Any missed steps or deviation from the process could have dire consequences to both the deceased and the living relatives.
When a person dies in the empire, the small doors to the family shrine are closed and sealed with white paper to keep the impure dead out and a small table with incense, flowers, and a candle are placed by the deceased, then the eldest, living child begins the funeral preparations. The first thing that must be done, as close to the actual time of death as possible, is the anointing of the deceased's lips with water to symbolize the person's last drink. After this, the body is ritually washed clean, dressed in a white kimono and placed with the head facing north. This is normally done by the family, or, in wealthier families, professionals called nokansha, are hired from among the burakumin to perform these unclean tasks.
Either just before the moving of the body, or during if nokansha are being used, the family announces the death to the spirit world through prayer and memorialization at the family shrine. After the body is placed and a ceremonial knife laid at its side, food offerings are made to the gods. Afterwards, the body is placed in a coffin, again either by the family or nokansha, and daily food offerings begin to be made to the deceased twice a day until the body is laid to rest. Traditionally, these offerings are to be the deceased's favorite foods.
At this point, the local shrine is contacted and informed of the spirit's "return to the shrine," and the priests begin ritually purifying the ground in which the departed will be buried with water and prayer. After this is done the priest will then purify him- or herself in preparation for the actual wake that is the next step in the funeral rite.
This point in the rite has the mourners gather to offer condolences and offer gifts to the gods (i.e. the shrine) and, sometimes, to the family as well. All are garbed in ceremonial, black kimono. The priest offers prayers for the spirit and to comfort the bereaved. Once these prayers are done, the priest then ritually transfers the deceased's shen into a wooden tablet held over the body for this purpose. After this is done, refreshments are usually served. It is very important that this food be prepared off-site in order to avoid being contaminated with the energies of Yomi.
In the next step, the room where the funeral has taken place is purified and the priest offers eulogies to the dead; then the mourners are allowed to say their goodbyes. Each of the attendees lines up, single file, and walks past the body offering prayers and condolences to the family and the dead. Then the coffin is prepared to leave the home and carried to the site where it will be burned. This is done, again, either by the family themselves or the nokansha. For warriors or nobles, a sword is placed on the coffin with banners arranged around it so that the po and hun will know it is time to move on. If the soul was neither warrior nor noble, then just the banners suffice.
While the body is being moved, the home where the funeral was held, as a whole, is purified by priests and extended family to make it once more suitable for the living. Once the body is on-site for cremation, the family makes offerings to the deceased and places them in the coffin with the body. These are usually things that person enjoyed in life that are easily combustible. Prayers are led by the priest and the body is burned.
Once the fire has burned down and the ashes have cooled, the family then sifts through them to find any bones that weren't immolated and place them in the burial urn along with most of the ashes. This is done with long, metal chopsticks and is properly done starting at the feet and working up to the head. This way the deceased isn't upside down or all jumbled together in its final resting place. Some of these ashes are given to individual family members to be ensconced in clay, ancestral tablets to be placed in the family shrine.
After all of this is done, final prayers are uttered and thanks are given to those who attended the funeral and the urn is placed under the ancestral grave with any others that might be there.
Common Taboos
Loss of self-control in public. Losing control of oneself, whether that be control of an emotion such as anger or control of a bodily function, is considered to be a deeply humiliating experience to the Daiinjin. Losing control of the self in a public setting, however, is not just shameful to the one who's lost it, but to the people witnessing the act as well. Therefore certain actions such as breaking wind, belching, or being inebriated in a public setting like a city street are all taboo.
Hand-in-hand with the above, blowing your nose in public is considered both shameful and disgusting. Regardless of whether or not you have a tissue. Throughout the empire, this act is considered to be an unlucky thing to do as well. As it is widely believed that the dark god, Susanno-O, was expelled from the Creator through his nose. Therefore, to do it in front of others, especially without tissue to catch it, is to be literally expelling misfortune in their presence.
Hand-in-hand with the above, blowing your nose in public is considered both shameful and disgusting. Regardless of whether or not you have a tissue. Throughout the empire, this act is considered to be an unlucky thing to do as well. As it is widely believed that the dark god, Susanno-O, was expelled from the Creator through his nose. Therefore, to do it in front of others, especially without tissue to catch it, is to be literally expelling misfortune in their presence.
Historical figures
Tsuki-no-shitoyakasa was an ancient princess of the Tsuki-no-bushi clan, the ancient predecessors of both the Immaculate House of the Dragon and the House of the Crashing Wave. Being a fearsome warrior and an exemplary model of the Yin ideal, she was the first mortal lover of the moon god, Tsuki-yomi, and thus became one of the founders of the two great imperial lineages and gave birth to the first Dragon Emperor.
Katsumoto Musashi, a samurai from the Age of the Bushi, is one of the more famous figures of the Daiin people. He is known from one end of the empire to the other and has become almost more legend than man through the ages. He is renowned as a warrior of unsurpassed skill and his dual-wielding art, the Way of Two Clouds, is still enthusiastically practiced into the modern days.
Katsumoto Musashi, a samurai from the Age of the Bushi, is one of the more famous figures of the Daiin people. He is known from one end of the empire to the other and has become almost more legend than man through the ages. He is renowned as a warrior of unsurpassed skill and his dual-wielding art, the Way of Two Clouds, is still enthusiastically practiced into the modern days.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Whether due to the perceived ethereal beauty of the elves, called yosei by the Yin-aligned, or the implications of status and/or wealth, pale skin is as much a mark of beauty among these people as it is among those of Yang alignment. As well, many of the same ideals of physical attractions such as full, lustrious, black hair, large, expressive eyes and a healthy smile dominate the libidos of the Yin-aligned as much as the Yang. However, where their ideas of physical perfection diverge is in body type and personalities.
Where Yang men are attracted to a more athletic, toned female body, the men of the Yin-aligned lands are more partial to a petite, willowy frame. All soft, rounded limbs and gentle curves. As well, the facial features tend to be more narrow and aquiline. Whereas, when looking for men, women tend to look for a more athletic, if not wiry, frame and more narrow facial features. One peculiar feature that both sexes find attractive is long-fingered, slightly delicate hands.
Due to their generally reserved, cerebral natures, the Yin-aligned peoples tend to look for the same traits in their partners. A person who has no control over their emotions, by Yin standards, and cannot approach any problem from a logical standpoint is considered to be boorish at the very best. Stupid at the worst, and not suitable for a partner.
Where Yang men are attracted to a more athletic, toned female body, the men of the Yin-aligned lands are more partial to a petite, willowy frame. All soft, rounded limbs and gentle curves. As well, the facial features tend to be more narrow and aquiline. Whereas, when looking for men, women tend to look for a more athletic, if not wiry, frame and more narrow facial features. One peculiar feature that both sexes find attractive is long-fingered, slightly delicate hands.
Due to their generally reserved, cerebral natures, the Yin-aligned peoples tend to look for the same traits in their partners. A person who has no control over their emotions, by Yin standards, and cannot approach any problem from a logical standpoint is considered to be boorish at the very best. Stupid at the worst, and not suitable for a partner.
Gender Ideals
Gender ideals are much the same as they are among their Yang-aligned counterparts. However, both sexes are expected to act with proper decorum and restraint in public at all times. To do anything less is to lose Face. One may only allow one's emotions to shine through in the privacy of the home or among close friends.
Traditionally, within the Yin lands before the Divine Mandate, men led the communities in a logical and methodical fashion, and took care of the homes in much the same way. They were the administrators and the planters and they made the laws which governed both community and household. While the women, logically, pursued tasks more suited to their natural inclinations such as hunting, soldiering, painting, or captaining a ship in the ancient lands of Wa.
While the Divine Mandate brought about an equal division of tasks and labor, in many of the Yin lands, women still tend to defer more to men in the running of towns and communities while they support his laws with their bodies and blades.
This isn't to say that the men are not capable warriors in their own rights, when needed. Both men and women are often trained in the warriors arts. Especially amongst the takaixue. In fact, Yin-aligned warriors are often more feared on the battlefield than even the fiercest, Yang-aligned steppe warrior. To see a warrior calmly cutting his way across a field, no fear, anger, or sadness on his blood spattered face as he methodically cuts down foes, is a much more unnerving sight than any screaming barbarian.
While the Divine Mandate brought about an equal division of tasks and labor, in many of the Yin lands, women still tend to defer more to men in the running of towns and communities while they support his laws with their bodies and blades.
This isn't to say that the men are not capable warriors in their own rights, when needed. Both men and women are often trained in the warriors arts. Especially amongst the takaixue. In fact, Yin-aligned warriors are often more feared on the battlefield than even the fiercest, Yang-aligned steppe warrior. To see a warrior calmly cutting his way across a field, no fear, anger, or sadness on his blood spattered face as he methodically cuts down foes, is a much more unnerving sight than any screaming barbarian.
Courtship Ideals
Among the Daiinjin, women expect men to be passionate only in private and reserved at all others. There are very few epic romances in the histories of these peoples' lands. Marriages, in fact, are often arranged and accepted with far greater occurrence than they are in the Yang lands. It is only logical, after all, to expect one's parents to know, and arrange, the best match possible. While the young men and women do get a say in any arrangement, any argument is nearly always made from a logical standpoint as opposed to an emotional one.
Courtships among the Yin peoples are, like everything else, reserved affairs. Chaperones are always present when the arranged pair meet. Ideally, they will meet several times over the course of three moons, get to know each other, and pronounce the match logical to both sets of parents. At which point, a wedding is arranged.
Courtships among the Yin peoples are, like everything else, reserved affairs. Chaperones are always present when the arranged pair meet. Ideally, they will meet several times over the course of three moons, get to know each other, and pronounce the match logical to both sets of parents. At which point, a wedding is arranged.
Relationship Ideals
A man is expected to be stoic and reserved at all times but with those who are close to him. A woman is given greater leeway, but is expected to let the reserve slip when defending those she cares for. A man is expected to run the household with logic, and a woman to provide her family with a nurturing touch and to defend them with all the fire in her soul. Passion is expected between the couple when in private and a man who cannot show his family sufficient passion and love is bound to be left. Divorce is nowhere near common within the Middle Empire. However, in the Yin-aligned lands, there is logical precedence if one parent or the other cannot provide the spouse and family what they need.
Major organizations
The Yin-aligned people are able to claim His Imperial Majesty, the Dragon Emperor, among their number as well as a vast majority of the administrative side of the Imperial Bureaucracy. Also, the Immaculate House of the Dragon, one of the two noble houses from which the Imperial Twins are birthed, is traditionally of the Yin alignment. As are several of the Middle Empire's provinces: the Jungles of the Snake People and the lands further south, the Land of Ten Thousand Rivers home of the Great Bamboo Forest and heart of the paper trade, the Endless Fields of Reed and Water where the majority of the empire's rice is harvested, and the Scarred Lands from whence hail the Wako samurai-pirates.
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
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